George Reid

George Reid (25 February 1845-12 September 1918) was Prime Minister of Australia from 18 August 1904 to 5 July 1905, succeeding Chris Watson and preceding Alfred Deakin. He was a member of the Free Trade Party.

Biography
George Reid was born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland in 1845, the son of a Presbyterian minister. He arrived in Australia in 1852, became a lawyer in 1879, and entered the parliament as a committed proponent of free trade, serving from 1880 to 1884 and from 1885 to 1901. He became leader of the opposition in 1891, and was premier from 1894 to 1899, cautiously supporting a federation of Australian states. Elected to the federal government in 1901, he supported a defensive coalition against the growing Australian Labor Party. On this basis, in 1904 he formed a government in a coalition with the Protectionist Party. With a majority of only one seat, he was unable to enact any major legislation. He retired from Parliament in 1908, and became Australia's first high commissioner in London from 1910 to 1916. He was elected unopposed to the British House of Commons in 1916, serving until his sudden death two years later.